Clipper Yacht Race - Skippers use Stealth Mode to avoid light winds

by Clipper Ventures on 24 Oct 2013 At the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, with 500 miles to go until Cape Town, the yachts are using Stealth Mode to try to get into the best possible position to avoid the expected light, fickle winds off the African coast.

Five boats are currently in Stealth Mode, meaning their position is hidden from the other yachts and the Race Viewer so they can try out various tactical possibilities.

Great Britain (in Stealth Mode) was last seen leading the fleet before it entered the secretive mode. But skipper Simon Talbot says the yacht has slowed up and is now very close to the ridge of the high pressure system, so he awaits the weather gods who will show their hand tonight.

'Most of the fleet is bunched up behind us, some to the north a little, some to the south and a fair few directly behind meaning that if the wind is stronger to the north or south of us, part of the fleet will just sail straight past us whilst we sit powerless in the middle.

'We obviously hope things do not pan out this way, but when the wind is light and fickle it becomes very difficult to predict and you can analyse forecasts and base your tactics upon them, as I am sure all the skippers have, but the one thing you can be sure of is that it will not quite do what is forecast,' he added.